Self-Compassion for Parents: Nurture Your Child by Caring for Yourself

by Susan M. Pollak, Christopher K. Germer (Foreword)

"I yelled at the kids again--and feel so ashamed." "I barely have time to shower, let alone exercise; no wonder I’m so out of shape." "I'm just not the dad I hoped I would be." Parenting is hard. That's why self-compassion is so important. In this empathic resource, mindfulness expert and psychologist Susan M. Pollak helps you let go of constant self-judgment and treat yourself with the same kindness and caring you strive to offer your kids. Simple yet powerful guided meditation techniques (most under three minutes long) are easy to practice while doing the dishes, driving to work, or soothing a fussy baby. Learn to respond to your own imperfections like a supportive friend, not a harsh critic. You will find yourself happier and more energized--and will discover new reserves of patience and appreciation for your kids.

Genres: Parenting, Psychology, Nonfiction, Self Help, Family

246 pages, Paperback

Published July 30, 2019

Reviews

[Jessica Corwin]

Interesting book, best suited as audio due the intermingled meditations throughout. So many relatable examples in parenthood that felt particularly inspiring during this chapter of life.

[Sara Sherra]

The book is great if you are into meditation and mindfulness, it is riddled with tons of mindfulness techniques and exercises. This can be a good thing, of course, if that's the kind of thing you're into. However, if guided meditation techniques are not your thing, i'd recommend skipping the book, as it will only sound rather repetitive and tiring.
I have to say i expected it to provide more solid tools, not just mindfulness and meditation, especially being written by a trauma specialist. I was also hoping it would be more generalized towards parents and parent dilemmas of all kinds, i did not like the way it presented examples (so very many of them) instead of just talking about general subjects, phases, etc...

[Leanne]

Liked the anecdotes. Not keen on the many exercises, not one for me.

[Tomika]

Would gift this to new parents or any parent going through a transition. A great resource for mindfulness and loving-kindness meditations specifically tailored to a care-giver.

[Chris]

A helpful guide to tools for parents.

[Kjersti]

Wonderful book with real-life stories from the author’s life and practice. Many meditation and thought activities to help different situations. I love that this book is about taking care of yourself to be a better parent...it feels different than most parenting books. Will be buying this for my own bookshelf. I borrowed from the library and looks like it’s supposed to come w a companion CD to play guided meditations.

[Sarah Lawton]

Has some helpful techniques, but it felt scattered and repetitive, not my normal reading format. A good resource, if you like text books.